If you know a pickleball player, you know that they want to look just as fabulous as they play, and vice versa. It’s just one of those things where fun is serious business, so we’ll help you get this right when it comes to choosing the best pickleball gifts around.
Since this sport is the latest craze that’s growing like crazy, our best pickleball gifts will help get your couch potato friends to acclimate to the game even if they’ve never played. We can call this a “coaxing gift.” They’ll thank you for it later.
Since pickleball and tennis have so much in common, a gift you could really go crazy on is a semester, monthly membership, or entire school year at one of these top tennis academies. Most are in sunny Florida by the ocean so they’ll be lots of love on the receiving end.
What Celebrities Play Pickleball?
When we say everyone is on the pickleball bandwagon, we mean it. Leonardo DiCaprio is said to play daily, and a couple of the Kardashian sisters love to play (as seen on Keeping Up with the Kardashians). Stephen Colbert indulges as well.
Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet love to play as well, and even our faves George and Amal Clooney get in a game when they can at their LA home court. Apparently, celebrities partake in other sports besides skipping a mean rope. Let’s start with shoes.
K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball Shoes
Founded in 1966 by 2 Swedes who moved to California to start a tennis shoe company, it was an easy transition for K-Swiss to dominate the pickleball world when it comes to footwear, seeing as the two sports are so similar.
A little fun fact, the K stands for California. We’re going to cut them some slack on this one, as the Swiss can’t even make a solid piece of cheese, but bless their hearts for trying.
The K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball was probably the first shoe specifically designed for pickleball. It’s easy to see why with its grip lining that holds the heel steady along with added material on those areas that tend to wear out fast.
Lightweight and breathable, this is a great all-around shoe for both indoor or outdoor courts, as you never know where you’ll end up.
You see, this is because pickleball is usually played on tennis courts which creates somewhat of a Battle Royal between the tennis players and pickleball folks who are vying for the same court.
Those who don’t want their groove disturbed will move on to greener pastures. This is a just-for-fun sport, so no need to get huffy.
Sporty Stripe Pickleball Bag
You’ll find this handsome carrying case over at Mark & Graham in both black and white color combinations. If you’re all-in with pickleball, then let this bag do the talking, metaphorically asking others to kindly step aside.
Crafted from easy-to-clean nylon with zipper pockets stow your racket and balls, there’s also a pocket for a water bottle. You can also have it monogrammed with embroidery to keep things classy.
Pickleball Tutor Spin Ultra
This high-end piece of practice machinery will ensure your comitative edge while you practice practice practice. With 6 preset drills, random and 2-line oscillation you can round out your drills to master a clean return against anything your opponent has in their bag of tricks.
It holds up to 120 pickleballs in this easy-to-move pro trainer, so if you’re gifting this make sure you buy some balls. There’s also a multi-function wireless remote you can purchase but your smartphone can work as a remote as well.
A digital display lets you easily see your settings and if you get the battery-powered model, you can get 4-6 hours of practice off a charge. The Pickleball Tutor Spin Ultra will take your game from casual to momentous in a heartbeat.
Vanguard Power Air Invikta Paddle
The Vanguard Power Air Invikta Paddle is one of the latest products from Selkirk Sport. It’s an extremely lightweight paddle that’s perfect for those who want to get the most out of their game. With a unique air-flow system, this carbon fiber paddle provides an amazing amount of power and control.
Designed and engineered with Selkirk technology called Quantum-CarbonFiber, they cross-weaved this giving a larger sweet spot.
This also gives you longer resonance, consistency, and maximum spin. It’s the same material utilized by spacecraft companies, so this will satisfy the need for speed – we all know someone like that. Now let’s take a deep dive as to how all this tech equals huge benefits.
The Vanguard Power Air Invikta is rated one of the best for its quality material alone. But to pickleball enthusiasts, it’s all about mastery of topspin.
How important is spin in pickleball?
Topspin and backspin are essentials in mastering pickleball and the quality of your racket will make all the difference, as different materials give different results.
A racket made from carbon fiber gives you maximum control and extra tactical choices that you wouldn’t otherwise have. The pro-spin texture gives you the split-second grab you need to achieve this topspin skill. In fact, there’s an entire science behind the art of the topspin in pickleball and you can read about it here.
Limited Edition Pickleball Wine Set
Nothing like a chilled Veuve Clicquot after a pounding day on the pickleball court and the upper echelon of the sport will be easily noted with this custom limited edition pickleball wine set.
No ice is necessary as the wine container is double-walled stainless steel and it’s vacuum insulated which should keep your wine chilled for hours. Adorned with the pickleball symbol we all know and love, this is definitely one of our best pickleball gifts to give. What can we say? We like wine.
Most bottles should fit as the top screws up and down to accommodate the bottle. The set includes a Navy Vinglacé Original Chiller and two glass-lined wine glasses, all engraved of course.
If you’re wondering if you need to chill the Vinglace first, the answer is no. If the bottle is chilled, it should stay that way till someone on the court surrenders. But be a pal and share. Remember, the fact that pickleball doesn’t require a line judge tells us this is all about fun.
Balls and Gloves
We’ve packaged these two items together because they will most likely wear out sooner than later, making this a much-appreciated gift. They also package nicely with any of the above so you can stylize your own ultimate pickleball gift basket.
Conclusion
Pickleball isn’t going away, and eventually, we’ll all most likely find ourselves on the court. So now would be a good time to leverage these top pickleball gifts and solidify some friendships in the p-circle.
